Albacete
Encyclopedia
Albacete is a city and municipality
in southeastern Spain
, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community
of Castile-La Mancha
. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009.
The city has been known as a center for the manufacture of fine daggers, scissors, and knives. An assembly plant of Eurocopter, a subsidiary of EADS
, began operation in 2007.
Although Albacete has never been considered a city with an industrial tradition, the industrial area in the city, known as Polígono de Campollano, has recently been expanded as it is one of the biggest industrial parks in Spain. The local government is pushing to make Albacete a logistic center in the southeastern part of Spain.
Albacete, together with Ciudad Real
, has one of the main campuses of the University of Castilla la Mancha
. It is estimated that between 9,000 and 10,000 students study at any of the schools that the regional university currently has in the city.
Albacete is not known as a tourist destination, but its sights include the cathedral and the Museo de Albacete
.
During the Spanish Civil War
, it was the headquarters and training camp of the International Brigades
, whose political commissar was André Marty
, also known as the "Butcher of Albacete".
Albacete is home to the soccer team Albacete Balompié
.
. Before that, it had been a small Moorish village. Its name is derived from the Arabic , "the plain". It was taken by Christian troops in 1241 and was under the dominion of Alarcon
.
Around the first quarter of the 14th century, in the time of the famous writer Don Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, who was the governor of Murcia
and, therefore the Lord of these lands, which were to become later the Marquisate of Villena, the village began to develop and its population to increase. In 1375 it was considered a borough and became independent of Chinchilla, and a century later, in 1476, the Catholic Monarchs
rewarded Albacete for supporting the Crown by granting it a licence to hold a market once a week.
During the Revolt of the Comuneros (1520–22), after initial protests, Albacete supported the new emperor Charles V
who, in 1526, granted the feudal estate of the town to his wife, the Empress Isabella of Portugal
. During this period, building started on the church of San Juan Bautista (St John the Baptist), which was later to become a cathedral.
Albacete is located in a strategic position between Madrid
and the east coast of Spain and its agricultural wealth led to the growth of the borough during the next few centuries until Philip V
granted permission for an annual fair (1710). This fair was later held in an enclosure built by Charles III
(1783).
The railway reached Albacete in 1855, and the Madrid‑Alicante route passed through the town. Later, Albacete was also connected by rail to Cartagena
. In 1862, Isabel II
granted Albacete the title of town. Street electric lighting was inaugurated in 1888, thus being the first capital of a province in Spain with electric lighting in its streets.
Throughout the 19th century, the population of the town doubled from the 10,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the century to around 21,000 by the beginning of the 20th century. During this period, Albacete defended Queen Isabel II against the Carlists (the supporters of Charles
, the pretender to the Spanish throne), supported Espartero and, just like other Spanish cities, constituted a revolutionary junta. During the long period of the Restoration (1875–1923), symptoms of caciquismo (or "boss politics," a system of dominance by a local party leader) invaded the political and social life of Albacete.
Between 1900 and the end of the Spanish Civil War (1939), the population tripled. A number of basic public works date back to that time: the water supply and sewer system (1905), the Abelardo Sanchez Park (1910–23), Tesifonte Gallego Street and the Industrial area of the town. During the Spanish Civil War
(1935–39), after a brief lapse in the power of the troops who had rebelled against the Republican government, the town fell back into the hands of Madrid. For most of the war, the airbase at Los Llanos was the main headquarters of the Republican air force. It was also the headquarters of the International Brigades
(supporters of the Republican cause from other countries who fought in the Spanish Civil war) and a monument has been built recently to commemorate the sixty years' anniversary of those events. The first volume of Peter Weiss
' novel The Aesthetics of Resistance
is located in Albacete's Civil War days hospital “Cueva La Potita“.
In the time of the transition to democracy, the two most significant events were the establishment in Albacete in 1982 of the High Court of Justice of Castile-La Mancha, and the consolidation of the University, which brought new life to the town in 1985.
The university has 10,000 students that feed a lot of clubs, bars and tapas restaurants. During summer nights, thousands of people visit Tascas de la Feria to eat regional dishes.
In September, the Feria de Albacete (town festival) transforms the city for ten days. A great many visitors fill the city streets, and the population increase fivefold.
(an Iberia Airlines
franchise), with a flight to Barcelona
. Additionally, the 10-nation Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) has resided on the military side of the airport/airbase since it moved from Florennes Belgium in July 2009.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in southeastern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009.
The city has been known as a center for the manufacture of fine daggers, scissors, and knives. An assembly plant of Eurocopter, a subsidiary of EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
, began operation in 2007.
Although Albacete has never been considered a city with an industrial tradition, the industrial area in the city, known as Polígono de Campollano, has recently been expanded as it is one of the biggest industrial parks in Spain. The local government is pushing to make Albacete a logistic center in the southeastern part of Spain.
Albacete, together with Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real is a city in Castile-La Mancha, Spain, with a population of c. 74,000. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid, located 115 miles to the north. A high capacity...
, has one of the main campuses of the University of Castilla la Mancha
University of Castilla-La Mancha
The University of Castilla-La Mancha, offers courses in the cities of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Toledo, Almadén, Talavera de la Reina and Puertollano. This university was recognised by law on 39 June 1982, and began to operate three years later....
. It is estimated that between 9,000 and 10,000 students study at any of the schools that the regional university currently has in the city.
Albacete is not known as a tourist destination, but its sights include the cathedral and the Museo de Albacete
Albacete Provincial Museum
The Albacete Provincial Museum is a museum of archeology and fine art located in Albacete, Spain. The museum has existed in various incarnations since 1927, and settled in its present building in Abelardo Sánchez Park in 1978...
.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, it was the headquarters and training camp of the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
, whose political commissar was André Marty
André Marty
André Marty was a leading figure in the French Communist Party, the PCF, for nearly thirty years. He was also a member of the National Assembly, with some interruptions, from 1924 to 1955; Secretary of Comintern from 1935 to 1944; and Political Commissar of the International Brigades during the...
, also known as the "Butcher of Albacete".
Albacete is home to the soccer team Albacete Balompié
Albacete Balompié
Albacete Balompié, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Albacete, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Founded on August 2, 1940, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Carlos Belmonte, with a 17,300-seat capacity.-History:The club was founded...
.
History
The earliest information is from 1269, when Albacete was only a small village, dependent on the borough of ChinchillaChinchilla de Monte-Aragón
Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón, more commonly just Chinchilla, is a municipality in the province of Albacete in Castile-La Mancha, in the region of La Mancha Montearagón.-Description:This town is located 15 km from the capital of the province...
. Before that, it had been a small Moorish village. Its name is derived from the Arabic , "the plain". It was taken by Christian troops in 1241 and was under the dominion of Alarcon
Alarcon
Alarcón is a historic municipality in Castile-La Mancha, SpainThe surname Alarcón or Alarcon may refer to:*Daniel Alarcón, novelist*Hernando de Alarcón, navigator*Jestoni Alarcon, Filipino actor*Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, Spanish dramatist...
.
Around the first quarter of the 14th century, in the time of the famous writer Don Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, who was the governor of Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
and, therefore the Lord of these lands, which were to become later the Marquisate of Villena, the village began to develop and its population to increase. In 1375 it was considered a borough and became independent of Chinchilla, and a century later, in 1476, the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
rewarded Albacete for supporting the Crown by granting it a licence to hold a market once a week.
During the Revolt of the Comuneros (1520–22), after initial protests, Albacete supported the new emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
who, in 1526, granted the feudal estate of the town to his wife, the Empress Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Portugal was a Portuguese Princess and Holy Roman Empress, Duchess of Burgundy, and a Queen Regent/Consort of Spain. She was the daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon. By her marriage to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Isabella was also Holy Roman Empress and Queen...
. During this period, building started on the church of San Juan Bautista (St John the Baptist), which was later to become a cathedral.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and the east coast of Spain and its agricultural wealth led to the growth of the borough during the next few centuries until Philip V
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
granted permission for an annual fair (1710). This fair was later held in an enclosure built by Charles III
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
(1783).
The railway reached Albacete in 1855, and the Madrid‑Alicante route passed through the town. Later, Albacete was also connected by rail to Cartagena
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
. In 1862, Isabel II
Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
granted Albacete the title of town. Street electric lighting was inaugurated in 1888, thus being the first capital of a province in Spain with electric lighting in its streets.
Throughout the 19th century, the population of the town doubled from the 10,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the century to around 21,000 by the beginning of the 20th century. During this period, Albacete defended Queen Isabel II against the Carlists (the supporters of Charles
Infante Carlos, Count of Molina
The Infante Carlos of Spain was the second surviving son of King Charles IV of Spain and of his wife, Maria Luisa of Parma. As Carlos V he was the first of the Carlist claimants to the throne of Spain...
, the pretender to the Spanish throne), supported Espartero and, just like other Spanish cities, constituted a revolutionary junta. During the long period of the Restoration (1875–1923), symptoms of caciquismo (or "boss politics," a system of dominance by a local party leader) invaded the political and social life of Albacete.
Between 1900 and the end of the Spanish Civil War (1939), the population tripled. A number of basic public works date back to that time: the water supply and sewer system (1905), the Abelardo Sanchez Park (1910–23), Tesifonte Gallego Street and the Industrial area of the town. During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
(1935–39), after a brief lapse in the power of the troops who had rebelled against the Republican government, the town fell back into the hands of Madrid. For most of the war, the airbase at Los Llanos was the main headquarters of the Republican air force. It was also the headquarters of the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
(supporters of the Republican cause from other countries who fought in the Spanish Civil war) and a monument has been built recently to commemorate the sixty years' anniversary of those events. The first volume of Peter Weiss
Peter Weiss
Peter Ulrich Weiss was a German writer, painter, and artist of adopted Swedish nationality. He is particularly known for his plays Marat/Sade and The Investigation and his novel The Aesthetics of Resistance....
' novel The Aesthetics of Resistance
The Aesthetics of Resistance
The Aesthetics of Resistance is a three-volume novel by the German-born playwright, novelist, filmmaker, and painter Peter Weiss.Spanning from the late 1930s into World War II, this historical novel dramatizes anti-fascist resistance and the rise and fall of proletarian political parties in Europe...
is located in Albacete's Civil War days hospital “Cueva La Potita“.
In the time of the transition to democracy, the two most significant events were the establishment in Albacete in 1982 of the High Court of Justice of Castile-La Mancha, and the consolidation of the University, which brought new life to the town in 1985.
Modern age
Albacete has become the most important town in the Castile-la Mancha region, with unparalleled services and industrial activity, due to its position on the excellent train and highway communications that link Madrid to the eastern coast of Spain.The university has 10,000 students that feed a lot of clubs, bars and tapas restaurants. During summer nights, thousands of people visit Tascas de la Feria to eat regional dishes.
In September, the Feria de Albacete (town festival) transforms the city for ten days. A great many visitors fill the city streets, and the population increase fivefold.
Climate
Airport
Albacete is served by Los Llanos Airport, which is served by Air NostrumAir Nostrum
Air Nostrum, Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo, S.A., also known as Iberia Regional, is a regional airline based in Valencia, Spain. Air Nostrum is an independent carrier which operates as a franchisee of Iberia Airlines. Iberia Regional franchise is a regional partner of Iberia and an affiliate...
(an Iberia Airlines
Iberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
franchise), with a flight to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. Additionally, the 10-nation Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) has resided on the military side of the airport/airbase since it moved from Florennes Belgium in July 2009.